Important Information About the Con Edison Rate Cases
If you live in the Con Edison service area, the current gas and electric rate cases will determine how much you pay for utilities each month starting early next year. Our utility bills are already too high, so I share the outrage many of you have expressed at Con Edison’s request to raise our rates even higher. Here’s what I’m doing about it.
Joining the Rate Cases as an Intervenor
This spring, I became a formal participant in both of the ongoing Con Edison rate cases. By becoming a formal party, I have access to additional information and can participate in settlement negotiations should the case proceed in that direction. I’m looking forward to gaining more insight into the utility rate setting process and using that insight to inform future actions to lower utility costs. Click here to learn more about my participation in the cases.
Promoting & Supporting Public Participation
While my colleagues and I are pushing hard to lower costs, the Public Service Commission (PSC) also needs to hear directly from residents about their experiences with Con Edison and the impact of rate increases on their household finances. The more personal testimony they hear, the better. The collective advocacy of elected officials throughout Westchester led the PSC to host additional in-person public hearings in July, including one here in Assembly District 95.
If you missed the public statement hearings that took place, or even if you did testify, please know that you can also provide written testimony any time before Friday, November 21, 2025. Whether you testify in person or not, you are also strongly encouraged to submit written testimony in these cases. Click here to post a comment in the gas case and here to post a comment in the electric case. Letters with comments may also be sent directly to Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350. You should include the case number 25-E-0072 for the electric case and 25-G-0073 for the gas case.
Furthermore, we encourage you to share your comments over the phone by calling the PSC’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120.
Webinar: “How to Participate in The Con Edison Rate Cases”
To answer questions and help residents prepare to testify in cases such as these, I co-hosted a webinar with the Public Utility Law Project, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, and my colleagues in Assembly Districts 92 and 93, Assemblymembers MaryJane Shimsky and Chris Burdick. Watch it above or click here to see it on my YouTube channel.
Supporting Legislation to Lower Costs and Reform Utility Practices
I am a co-sponsor of multiple pieces of legislation that will help us lower costs and reform utility practices if passed. These include:
- Legislation to end the obligation to serve gas. Gas infrastructure is incredibly expensive to maintain, and most of the cost of the current Con Ed rate case is related to their obligation to continue serving gas. Eliminating this obligation is the single most important thing we can do to rein in costs. Replacing the obligation to serve gas with an obligation to serve energy more generally would enable utilities to replace old, expensive gas infrastructure with less expensive options. While the bill that would have gone the furthest toward lowering costs, the New York HEAT Act, did not pass the Assembly this session, I am continuing to fight for legislation to end the obligation to serve gas and enable utilities to pass the resulting cost savings on to ratepayers.
- Ending the 100-foot-rule. The Assembly and Senate did pass A.8888 to end the 100-foot-rule, which currently requires all ratepayers to subsidize the cost of new connections to the gas system. Ending this gas subsidy is a small but important step toward limiting the expansion of gas infrastructure. I am currently working with colleagues to push the Governor to sign this bill into law.
- Legislation to limit the costs utilities can pass on to ratepayers. A.4249 would prohibit public utilities from using ratepayer funds to pay for lobbying and political donations. A.5402A would constrain executive salaries and make utility companies responsible for most of the cost of participating in rate cases before the PSC. A.1028 would help constrain costs by requiring public utilities to adopt a common equity ratio and rate of return on equity, reducing pressure to raise rates in order to pay for higher shareholder returns.
My office is currently reviewing other pieces of legislation that could help bring costs down, as this is a top priority for me.
If you have any questions about the rate cases or anything you’d like to share about your experiences with Con Edison, please feel free to call my district office at (914) 941-1111 or send a message using my contact form.